Page 88 of Secret Heir For The Billionaire Twin

That answer does very little to settle me.

“You didn’t have to come all the way out here.”

“I know.”

There is nothing more attached to it. No explanation, no attempt to make the gesture smaller than it is. Before I can respond, Julian reaches for the handle of my suitcase.

“I can take that,” I tell him.

“So can I.”

“Apparently.”

A faint smile touches his mouth as he hands the luggage to the chauffeur, who places it in the trunk before opening the rear door for us. Julian waits for me to get in first. The back seat is spacious enough that we could sit comfortably apart, but when he slides in beside me, his knee comes within inches of mine. The door closes, sealing us into the quiet leather interior while the chauffeur pulls away from the terminal.

“How was the flight?” Julian asks.

“Long, but fine.”

“Did you sleep?”

“A little.”

“That means no.”

“It means I watched two terrible movies and eventually gave up.”

He smiles. “Productive.”

“Extremely.”

The conversation fades naturally, and I reach for my phone before the silence has time to become something else. There are messages from Grace, two from my team, and one from Maya asking whether I landed safely. I answer them while the outskirts of Milan begin to move past the window.

Every few minutes, I feel Julian’s presence beside me more than I see it. The clean trace of his cologne reaches me whenever he shifts. His forearm rests along the seat between us, close enough that I am conscious of the space separating our hands. I keep my attention on the city beyond the glass.

“You’ve been here before?” Julian asks.

“Once. Years ago.”

“For work?”

“Mostly.”

“That sounds suspicious.”

“It was a conference. I escaped for one afternoon.”

“Then you haven’t really seen Milan.”

I glance at him. “Are you volunteering as a tour guide?”

His eyes hold mine for a beat.

“If the schedule allows.”

The answer lands more softly than I expect. I look back toward the window. Julian shifts slightly beside me.

“You have a brief meeting at the office later this afternoon. Mostly introductions. Dinner afterward with Matteo, Alessandra, and a few of the regional team.”